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Martina Cowen, Section 13

Uncle Vanya Ivan Petrovich (Vanya)

I walk into the garden, having woken late in the afternoon. My head is groggy and I am

disorientated. Ever since the Professor and his wife arrived my schedule has been interrupted.

Everyone in the house has been affected by their arrival. Marina agrees with me. Its selfish. He

orders tea at all hours of the night. They have no consideration for anyone else here. The horrifying

thing is that they want to move here. I dont think I could stand them living here for that long.

They enter the garden from their walk. All I see is Yelena. She doesnt say a word, but her beauty

radiates from her. Ive never seen a more beautiful woman. I cannot believe shes married to

someone as old and bizarre as my brother-in-law. She shouldnt be with him. Astrov is fed up of my

complaining. I have grown old and lazy. All I do is complain all day. I envy the Professor. All he does

is write all day on things of little importance. He lives off his first wifes (my sisters) estate. All he

does all day and night is sit and write on matters that he knows nothing about. He complains of his

misfortunes, but the reality is that he lives a charmed life. Hes pretentious, and I dislike that in a

man. The worst part is, is that he is so successful with women. He claimed my sister for himself first,

my mother adores him, and now his current wife, so much younger than he is, is under his spell. She

has given up her life for him. In my opinion, she shouldnt waste her time being faithful to the

Professor. Id much rather she spent her time on me! Telegin rambles off on how being faithful is the

most important part of a relationship. I think hes rather deluded.

Poor Astrov, a doctor by profession, came all the way here to see the Professor, who seems quite fine

today. Yelena insists he was ill last night. It frustrates me that she should be burdened with a man of

his age with so many physical ailments. My mother begins rambling about some nonsense, but I cut

her off. I dislike how she fawns over and admires the Professor. She doesnt understand what is

going on in my head. She accuses me of changing, but she doesnt understand how disillusioned I

have become with life. Poor Astrov is called away to an accident at a factory, but before he leaves,
he begins bragging to Yelena and talking about how he despises people who cut down trees. I hate

to see her interested in things he tells her. At last I am alone of Yelena, but things do not go my way.

She chastises me for how I acted towards my mother and the Professor. She begins talking about the

doctor, and I feel a pang of jealousy. I confess my love to her, and she rebuffs me What did I

expect?

A few weeks later, I have made no further progress in my attempts to woo Yelena. I am feeling

depressed and tired of life and so one evening I drink until I feel a little better. I walk in to see the

Professor complaining of illness once again. I wonder how long it will be before the old man finally

dies. He has been unfair to Astrov once again, by calling for his assistance and then not even

speaking to him. I see how tired Sonya and Yelena look and I feel for them. It is not fair that they be

burdened like this. I offer to stay up the Professor but his comments about our friendship grate on

me and I want to laugh aloud at how this man believes that he and I were ever friends. Once the

Professor is finally taken to bed, I am alone with Yelena once more. I can see how unhappy she is

being married to this man. I want to take care of her. I want to make her mine and show her how

happy she could be. In my drunken state, once again I tell her I love her, and once again, she refuses

my advances. Why couldnt I have married her ten years ago? Why did I have to be so old? I am

miserable. When Astrov (who is also drunk, and I dont blame him for it) turns up with Telegin, he

teases me for my feelings for Yelena. I wish he would stop. I see how much he admires her, and she

him. Sonya enters and she can see the misery in my eyes. She wishes I would drink less. I wish I

could. I leave to go to bed, but I linger outside to catch the conversation within. Sonya is in love with

Astrov! He is blind to it, but it seems apparent that she is enamoured with him. I feel for Sonya I

too know all too well the pain of unrequited love. Astrov says he cannot imagine that he would ever

love another person, but that he finds Yelena beautiful. Dont we all? Jealousy spikes within me. He

finally leaves to go to bed. I hear someone else enter the room it is Yelena. My heart stops. If only

I could gaze upon her beauty. Sonya reveals her secret love for Astrov, and Yelena reveals that her

life is very unhappy. A sick pleasure surges through me when I hear this. I dont want her to be
happy with that fool of a husband. The two women reconcile the differences that kept them apart

for so long. I wish I could join them and reconcile my differences with Yelena. I wish she could see

how happy I could make her.

Several months later and myself, Sonya and Yelena are waiting on the Professor to give us an

announcement. It is a miracle that he hasnt died already. I have no idea what this announcement

could be he does nothing useful with his life so I doubt he would have anything useful to say.

Yelena is bored. Arent we all? No wonder she is bored, being married to a bore such as the

Professor. Sonya is insistent that Yelena needs something to keep herself busy and that she is

infecting everyone with her laziness. There is some merit in this I suppose. I dont like to see Yelena

filled with such ennui and I can feel it rubbing off on me. She should be filled with life and inspire us

all to be the same. She does not take kindly to my words. A sinking feeling sits in my stomach why

do I always make things worse? I will make it up to her with a bouquet of roses and hope that this

will raise her opinion of me. I have been wondering about my niece. It is clear that she is in love

with Astrov. The whole house knows. She does not hide it well. I hope Astrov will not hurt her

feelings I know how much he admires Yelena. When I return with the roses for Yelena, I pause

outside of the door. I can hear Yelena talking to Astrov about Sonya. The man is completely deluded.

He thinks Yelena is trying to tell him that she loves him! I walk in to see Astrov trying to kiss Yelena.

She is struggling. How dare he force himself on her! Yelena asks me to help her and her husband

leave at once. I will do all I can to help her, even though I wish she were leaving with me.

Finally, the Professor comes in to make his announcement. I glance over to Sonya and Yelena. I can

see Sonya read Yelenas face and realise that Astrov does not love her. My heart goes out to her. I

know all too well what it is like not to have your love returned. I am in a state of irritability. I do not

want to hear what the Professor has to say. I want to help Yelena and get her as far away from

Astrov as possible. The Professor proposes that he will sell the estate. I am livid. How dare he? This

estate belongs to my niece. Where are we supposed to go if he sells it? I gave up my share of my
inheritance to buy it for my sister. I worked here for years to keep it running, and now he wants to

throw me out? Twenty-five years. I am fuming. Anger courses through me and I can keep it inside

no longer. Yelena tells me to calm down but I cant. I stop the Professor from leaving. He is a thief.

He stole the best years of my life. I am miserable because of him! I leave the room. I know what I

am looking for. There is only one solution. I hear my niece pleading with her father to let us stay.

The Professor comes to speak to me and as he makes his weak argument I point my gun towards

him, feeling the power in my hands. He runs like the coward he is. Yelena is terrified. I am hurting

her by doing this but I cant stop. The gun is empty I collapse in exhaustion. Why have I done this?

Am I mad? Yelena looks at me like I am a madman. I have lost her forever

Yelena and the Professor are leaving this evening. I am seriously contemplating whether or not my

life is worth living. I am a madman, and I do not know how I could suffer until I expire naturally. They

have taken away my gun, but I have taken a bottle of morphia from Astrovs supplies. I know not if I

will use it, but having there is a comfort at least. I do not know if I would be able to use it however,

as Astrov watches me constantly. Sonya takes me to talk to the Professor. We work out our

differences. I should feel at least a little more content that I still have somewhere to stay, but I

cannot shake this feeling of darkness. Even though she is leaving, I can tell that Yelena still admires

Astrov, and it sickens me that he should have her heart even though she will never act on her desires.

Then, all too soon, she and the Professor are gone and I am alone. There are people around me, but

I feel isolated. Astrov is leaving, and all the better, for I do not wish to see my niece in pain. She can

see how much pain I am in, and I dont want her to live the same miserable existence that I do. She

tries to console me, but she does not fully understand. No one does. She talks of God and Heaven

and how our toils and troubles will be rewarded after death. I wonder if she is right or if she is

merely convinced of these things as a way of dealing with her own sadness. I do not know if I can

deal with my own sadness. I suppose, as Sonya says, I will wait.

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